This recent CCC webinar in the Workflow of the Future series triggered a thought-provoking discussion exploring how FAIR principles could help standards publishers transform the re-usability of standards data.
The Workflow of the Future webinar series has highlighted the need for standards publishers to embrace new technologies to cater to the demands of increasingly digital audiences. This transformation is extremely challenging, not least because of the complexities of producing machine-actionable content in a consistent way.
A recent webinar in the Workflow of the Future series looked to the world of research data and asked the question: Can FAIR principles help standards organisations reframe this digital transformation, and help them maximise the value of their digital data? The session brought together a panel of experts from CCC, BSI and ASME to discuss this question.
Key Insights from the SessionÂ
- Findability is the Foundation: The speakers stressed the importance of unique identifiers and metadata as the starting point for moving towards SMART actionable standards.Â
- Accessibility Doesn’t Mean Free: Accessibility in FAIR emphasizes the ability to retrieve and use data appropriately, not necessarily making it freely available. This distinction is crucial for standards organizations balancing intellectual property concerns with usability.Â
- Interoperability is Critical: As machines increasingly consume standards data, ensuring that data integrates seamlessly across platforms is a priority. FAIR principles provide a framework for addressing this need.Â
Understanding FAIR PrinciplesÂ
Dave Schott from CCC, who recently served as a fellow at the GO-FAIR foundation, introduced the FAIR framework and explained how it provides a structure for organizing data and metadata so that it is machine-actionable; that is that our machines can find, access, understand and reuse the data. At its core, FAIR seeks to optimize workflows through better data management. The principles emphasize:
- Findability: The first step in (re)using data is to find them. Machine-readable metadata and unique, persistent identifiers and metadata are key to this. Â
- Accessibility: Once the machine finds the required data, it needs to know how it can be accessed taking, for example, licensing and privacy into consideration.Â
- Interoperability: For instance, data standards that enable integration across systems and workflows.Â
- Re-usability: The goal of FAIR is to optimize the reuse of data. To achieve this, metadata and data should be well-described so that they can be replicated and/or combined in different settings.Â
The Challenges of Applying FAIR to StandardsÂ
FAIR principles are simple in concept but complex in execution. This is especially true in the diverse and fragmented world of standards. As compared to other forms of data like research articles and research data, standards present unique challenges. Julie Gordon, Strategic Initiatives Director with BSI, and Robert Wheeler, Director, Publishing Technology with ASME, shared their experiences and identified the following issues:
- Diversity and Complexity: Standards encompass various formats, structures, and use cases, making it difficult to create a universal framework.Â
- Metadata Inconsistency: Variations in how metadata is generated and shared hinder discoverability and usability across platforms.Â
- Fragmentation: Different organizations use disparate terminologies, identifiers, and digital transformation strategies.Â
- Interoperability Barriers: Lack of alignment in how standards are represented digitally limits their integration into modern workflows.Â
Opportunities for TransformationÂ
Despite these challenges, the panelists highlighted several opportunities where FAIR could make a significant impact:
- Metadata Standardization: A common metadata framework for standards could simplify discoverability and interoperability. JSON is emerging as a potential format, with ISO and IEC leveraging it for their digital standards models.Â
- Machine-Readable Formats: Moving away from static PDFs to actionable formats would enhance machine usability, a growing demand in industries seeking automated integration of standards into workflows.Â
- Collaboration Among Standards Organizations: Unified efforts to adopt FAIR principles could amplify the benefits, particularly in terms of reducing redundancy and costs, and improving interoperability. Â
- Granularity in Identifiers: Applying persistent identifiers not just to standards but to their individual components could improve precision and usability.Â
Looking AheadÂ
The session concluded with a call to action for the standards community to embrace FAIR principles as a framework for addressing their challenges. While achieving full FAIR compliance may be a long-term goal, starting with small, collaborative steps—such as aligning metadata standards—could pave the way for considerable progress.
As industries increasingly demand seamless integration of standards data into digital workflows, the FAIR framework offers a pathway to greater accessibility, efficiency, and innovation.
Whether through subsequent webinars or continued dialogue, the conversation around FAIR principles for standards is just beginning. Stay tuned for more developments as the community works toward creating a more interoperable and accessible future for standards.